


I am but waiting for you, for an interval

by CartoonConnoisseur



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Family, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Just all the fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:08:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27765022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CartoonConnoisseur/pseuds/CartoonConnoisseur
Summary: Kya's time on earth comes to an end.
Relationships: Kya II & Tenzin (Avatar)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	I am but waiting for you, for an interval

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I'm mourning someone I lost and writing the deaths of my comfort characters is my way of coping. I apologize if this comes off as more cheesy than sad haha, it came out way fluffier than I intended it.

_Kya._

Kya cracked her heavy eyelids open, unsure if she had imagined the whispered call of her name. She closed her eyes once more, dismissing the whisper as probably just a hallucination from the haze of sleep. Just a few more minutes... 

_Kya, my darling daughter._

She groaned softly, tensing her eyes. She shifted onto her side as best she could, but the ever present dull ache that had plagued her body for some time abruptly heightened into a sharp twinge. She winced, stiffening until it faded back to background noise as quickly as it had come. Now was not the time for hallucinations. All she wanted was a few more hours of her late afternoon nap. 

_Kya, please wake. It's nearly time._

At that, her eyes flew open once more but not from fear, as she finally recognized her father's voice whispering to her. She'd long since accepted her impending passing, but to finally be this close to reuniting with her parents was too good to be true. Grunting softly, she pushed through the inevitable brief increase in pain as she sat up and slowly shifted her legs over the edge of the bed, blinking the last vestiges of sleep from her eyes. 

"Dad?" she whispered hoarsely. 

_I am here. I can't wait to hug you again._

"When the time does come..." Kya hesitated, "will be you there when I arrive?" 

_Of course. The others are waiting for you. Better get ready to say your goodbyes._

A burst of melancholy flooded her chest for her niblings as she slowly stood and shuffled over to her dresser. Her passing would impact each one differently. Jinora of course would be saddened, but her spiritual connections would dampen that somewhat. Ikki, bless her heart, would most likely sob her poor heart out for days. Meelo, knowing him, would probably joke around more to cope. Rohan would remain mostly quiet, as he typically did when upset. Her heart ached for each and every one of them, but she hoped she could somehow ease their pain a little bit once she became a spirit. 

Kya picked out her usual blue dress with its corresponding darker blue tunic underneath, though both were worn with years of use. It seemed appropriate for the occasion. She pulled the tunic over her head first, then the dress, all the while grunting at each painful jolt it caused her. She certainly wasn't going to miss having inflamed joints. After tying her hair into its customary ponytail, a soft knock at her door interrupted her thoughts and she hobbled over to open it. 

There stood her baby brother, his beard now grey with a streak of white. He somehow managed to avoid developing arthritis, so he stood straight and tall as always, his weathered hands gently grasping her shoulders. She scoffed at that, waving him off as she walked with him down the hallway. He sighed, knowing full well she didn't enjoy being fussed over. 

"I heard Dad," she said softly as they made their way to the living area. Tenzin's eyes widened at that. It had been years since Aang had last spoken to him, and a bolt of dread raced through him. 

"Did he say it was time?" he asked, his usual stern tone softened. His sister nodded and he hummed in acknowledgement, attempting to stifle his own feelings for her sake. Unfortunately, she knew him all too well and she gave him a sardonic look. 

"Look, if you're wanting to say what you have to say, then just say it. Don't avoid it or you're going to regret it." 

He chuckled sheepishly at that. "Couldn't pull the wool over your eyes, huh?" 

"Nope!" she stated cheerfully, roping her arm through his. "You should know by now nothing gets past me." 

He huffed at that, then fell silent before pausing in the entryway to the living area. "I'm sorry I haven't treated you the best over the years. I suppose I allowed the pressures of being the last airbender take precedence over my family. You and Bumi have helped me so much as I've struggled with leading the new Air Nation." Tenzin paused, tears pooling at the edges of his vision. "Please give Bumi and our parents my regards when you get there." 

A warm smile graced Kya's aged lips. She pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back soothingly. He attempted to pull away for fear of hurting her, but she held fast. 

"That's all in the past now. We can't change what we've done, but we can choose to improve ourselves going forward. And you've done that. I'm very proud of you, Tenzin," she murmured, finally letting go and smiling at him once again. 

"Thank you, Kya," he replied, hurriedly wiping his eyes. "It is going to be difficult without my best meditation instructor though." 

She huffed in amusement at that. "Eh, you'll manage. And besides, I think you'll make an excellent grandpa," she quipped, laughing at the affronted look on his face. 

"They've just barely married, Kya! They need some time to establish their connection before deciding on a child," he scowled. 

"So you're saying you want the child to get here faster?" she teased, giving his arm a playful shove. 

His face reddened further at her jibe. "That, dear sister, is beside the point. Must you insist on spending your last moments here bothering me?" 

She smiled slyly at him. "You know I wouldn't want it any other way, Tenzy," she cooed, earning yet another indignant huff from him. "Besides, you need not fear my loss. I'll always be with you, after all." 

"Don't threaten me," he muttered, motioning Pema over. "Get the children. It's almost time." She nodded and scurried off. Kya scoffed at his sudden solemnity. 

"Spirits, Tenzin, calm down," she remarked sarcastically. He spluttered at her apparent facetiousness. Leave it to his sister to joke in the face of death. 

"You're- you're _dying!_ How can you joke at a time llike this? I mean, don't get me wrong, I've begrudgingly tolerated them," he fretted, eliciting a disbelieving scoff from her, "but you're making it harder for me to say goodbye!" he finished, tears now streaming down his cheeks. "Damn you Kya, you always have to make it difficult!" 

Her expression softened and she placed her hand on his cheek. "Look at me, Tenzin. I'm not going to forget about you. How could I forget my favorite little brother?" she whispered, tears of her own flowing freely. "You've saved my life several times over and you've looked out for me all these years. Let me return the favor." 

Tenzin sighed, leaning against the entry way with his forearm. "I'm not sure how I'm going to cope. Meditation will only just remind me of you." 

"That's not such a bad thing, is it? Besides, like I said," she whispered, leaning in as if she were about to tell a secret, "I'll _always_ be with you." 

Oddly, he found himself comforted by her teasing tone of voice, and the knowing look in her eyes confirmed it. He glanced over and found the rest of the family standing there, in various states of grief. Kya cleared her throat, diverting the attention to her. 

"Well, let's get to playing some pai sho, shall we?" she said eagerly, clasping her hands together. "I want to leave on a good note!" 

They filed into the living area and took their seats around the enormous table that was set up for this purpose. Kai retrieved the game and set it up and they began the tournament. 

Three hours into the tournament, almost everyone was wired up from the ensuing shenanigans. They were all competing for the opportunity to beat Kya in her final game. After Jinora had easily knocked Meelo out of the first round, he mock pouted, upset that he wouldn't get to trounce Kya one last time. She offered to face him in a separate game, but he changed his mind and decided it wasn't worth it, as he didn't want to be defeated by a dying person anyway. Smirking, she ominously proclaimed she would forever haunt him for that and they became involved in one of their usual rounds of banter. Rohan squared up against Kai, but was soundly defeated as well. 

Ikki whooped joyfully when she knocked her brother-in-law out of the second round and he graciously conceded, opting to observe his wife and mother in law duking it out. Ikki was then defeated by Tenzin and Pema by Jinora, leaving father and daughter to duke it out. It was close, but Jinora narrowly defeated her father, giving her the honor of squaring up against her aunt one last time. As aunt and niece played, they meticulously placed pieces and considered their strategies, but alas, Jinora was defeated by her aunt. 

"Ooooo, you got beat by a dying person!" called Meelo over the chatter of the crowd. 

"At least I faced it head on, unlike you," she retorted with a smirk, eliciting laughter from everyone else and a scowl from her second youngest brother. Kya smiled tiredly, basking in the chaos and joy that was her family. 

_It's time, Kya._

Just at that moment, Jinora made eye contact with her and she nodded solemnly. She banged her fist on the table to get everybody's attention. "Everybody, it's time. Let's get her to the pavilion." 

The assembled family members rose from their seats. Kai and Rohan assisted their aunt in standing, and they gently led her outside to the meditation pavilion, where she gently waved them off, and walked towards the far railing and leaned against it, feeling the sea breeze blowing through her hair. She gazed at the stars that dotted the sky, saying a silent prayer of thanks. 

Rohan watched silently before bounding forward on lanky teenage legs She stopped just short of her, a little unsure, but she pulled him into a soft hug. 

"Sorry for throwing up on you when I was little," he murmured. Kya chuckled at his earnestness and gave his cheek a pat. 

"That's quite alright, it was years ago. Although I might burp in your ear, just for payback." 

Her youngest nephew smirked. "Y'know, for an old lady, you're really gross." 

"Hey, she's no simple old lady, she's an ancient hideous creature whom even the lion turtles feared! You can't simply reduce her to _just_ gross! She stinks of the most rancid stench imaginable! To reduce her to just a gross old lady would be to insult her so, and you don't wanna know what happens!" his brother interjected. 

"He's right, you know. I get downright nasty when people don't address me properly," she quipped. 

Rohan smirked and got to his knees, pretending to grovel. "I'm sorry, Your Most Hideousness, it won't happen again. Please don't eat me." 

Kya cocked her head teasingly. "Well, since I'm dying, I'll let you off the hook. Don't think that means I'll be weaker though," she added, "quite the opposite. I'm afraid death will only make me stronger. I'd better see the proper respect given to me when I return for a visit." 

"Don't you worry Auntie, I'll make sure to educate him more thoroughly," Meelo replied, shoving his brother off to the side playfully. He stuck his tongue out at him and leaned against the the entryway. 

His older brother abandoned his irreverent demeanor and stepped forward tentatively, before becoming trapped in a hug. 

"Oh, Meelo. My partner in crime, my greatest nemesis, my goofball nephew," she murmured, stroking his hair. "I'm going to miss our adventures together." 

"Me too, he sighed, his brow creasing. "I'll miss your scary stories and your freaking everyone out." 

"Oh, you won't have to worry about that. Didn't I promise to haunt you for the rest of your life when you were just a mere child?" she teased. 

"I was hoping you'd forget about that," he groaned in mock frustration. "I don't need you scaring my lemur army off." 

"You cannot hide behind your precious lemurs forever, my little gremlin. You're going to have to face me sooner or later," she hummed. 

"I'd rather it be later, so that I can prepare myself. Maybe I'll recruit Ro' here to help me," he enthused, throwing his arm around him. 

Rohan backed away, feigning nervousness. "No thanks, I choose life. You're the seasoned creature expert, not me." 

"All right boys, that's enough. Let's not keep her too long," Tenzin admonished. They nodded and stepped back so that Kai and their sisters could say their goodbyes. 

Kai and Jinora enveloped Kya in a brief gentle hug before pulling back. She gave them both a warm smile. "You two are going to do great things for this world. I can feel it. Don't be afraid to come visit me if you ever need anything." 

"Thanks, Auntie. Before I found the Avatar in the Earth Kingdom, well, I never thought I'd end up in such an amazing family. I never thought I'd have such a hilarious and empathetic aunt. I can't thank you enough," Kai admitted, somewhat sheepishly. "I promise, I'll treat her with the respect and love she deserves." 

Kya smiled. "I know you will. And I have you to thank for saving my life. Both of you." 

Jinora smiled sadly. "I'll miss you, Aunt Kya. I know I can always come visit, but it's going to be so weird not having you around on the island." 

"You'll be busy helping with the Air Nation too. I'm very grateful to have watched you two grow up to be such wonderful people. I love you both." 

"We love you too," Jinora murmured, wiping away a tear. Kai tenderly placed his arm around her and led her outside so that Ikki could have her turn. 

Ikki approached her aunt and for the longest time, she said nothing, silently taking in her aged face before finally bursting into tears and throwing herself into her arms. Kya smiled sadly, cupping her youngest niece's cheek. "Oh, my little Miss Gigglepants. I'm going to miss hearing your sweet giggles every night." 

Ikki said nothing but continued to sob into her shoulder. An sorrowful ache tugged at Kya's heart. As both women were middle children, they had become especially close. They'd shared many secrets with each other as the years went by. As much as Ikki loved her siblings and parents, she'd always felt most comfortable around Kya and she was very much aware of what she was about to lose. 

_Time to come home, my little penguin._

A familiar warmth filled her body as it began to glow a soft blue, and somehow, she knew what was going to happen. She sorely wished she could hold her darling youngest niece forever but even she couldn't delay the inevitable. 

"It's time," she whispered before pulling away, a slight echo to her voice. 

"There's so much I wish I could say to you, Aunt Kya," Ikki murmured. "Except if I were to say something, I don't think I could say it in the right way and I just-" 

Her aunt gently shushed her with a finger to her lips. "It's alright, my dear. I am I, and you are you, and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged. Whatever we were to each other, that we are still." 

Ikki smiled at her aunt's comforting whisper, her eyes watery. She moved aside, so that everyone could see what was about to happen. The blue glow that surrounded her body intensified gradually as the family watched in awe. Mist began to accumulate around her and it soon became clear that her body was dissolving into it, becoming a spirit. 

"Wait!" Ikki cried, rushing forward. She hesitated a moment before murmuring, "I love you." 

Kya smiled warmly at her niece. _"I love you too,"_ she whispered, her voice now the soft echo attributed to spirits outside of the spirit world. She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly, allowing what was left of her body to fade into mist, Her spirit remained for a moment, appearing as she was in her prime, before it too gradually vanished into mist. 

Ikki fell to her knees, somewhat dazed from the mixture of sadness and relief roiling about inside her. Meelo knelt next to her and placed his arm around her shoulder, a somber expression on his face. She smiled tearfully at him and was pulled into a tight hug. Rohan tentatively approached and was pulled into the hug as well. Jinora and Kai linked hands and wrapped their arms around the group. 

The siblings stayed like that for a while, while their parents stood nearby and watched with proud, if misty, smiles on their faces. Sure they fought like tigerdillos, but when it really came down to it, they all loved each other. Moments like these between the typically chaotic siblings were rare, so Pema and Tenzin simply watched, each very proud of the amazing men and women they'd become. 

"Even though we're busy helping the Air Nation, do you think she could still come visit us?" Rohan asked somewhat timidly, pulling away from the hug. 

Jinora smiled kindly at him. "I don't see why not." 

"I hope she'll be able to make it to my tattoo ceremony in a few months." he mused. 

"Are you kidding, Ro'? She wouldn't miss that for the world!" Meelo exclaimed "You wait, I'll bet she'll be cheering the second loudest for you there." 

Ikki smirked. "You couldn't even scare her once, what makes you think you can compete with her in volume?" 

"Simple, Ikki. I'll use airbending to project my voice," he declared triumphantly, flexing his muscles. 

"Well, that'll be easy for you, you've got enough hot air to prove it," Rohan teased, earning a faux scowl from his brother. 

Ikki stared thoughtfully out at the sea, the cool night breeze ruffling her hair. Jinora walked up next to her, her expression concerned. "You gonna be okay?" 

Her sister sighed, "Eventually. This is gonna be hard on all of us and I'm afraid we might end up arguing with each other worse than usual." 

"We'll manage it. Do you need some space?" 

Ikki turned to her, her gray eyes sparkling. "Actually, I kinda don't want to be alone for a while." 

A distant gong sounded, signaling the beginning of dinner. "Come on, let's get some food." 

Ikki nodded, then followed after her siblings. She glanced back and saw her father still gazing out at the horizon. "You coming, Dad?" 

"I'll be there in a minute. I just need some time to myself," he replied. She nodded and headed into the dining hall with the rest of the family. 

Tenzin stood silently, contemplating the spot where his sister had just stood moments ago. Not many people got to go so peacefully. Even then, sometimes even the most spiritual people still passed away in their sleep. That wasn't a bad thing, mind you, but it was still quite the unique way to go, and nobody deserved it more than his sister. 

He turned to go inside and as he did, he could have sworn he heard soft musical laughter from beside him. He shook his head, dismissing the thought. Surely she wouldn't have come to haunt him so soon after reuniting with the rest of the family? 

Another laugh sounded, and he promptly chose to ignore it, just to spite her. Just because he missed her already didn't mean he couldn't still be annoyed at her. As he reached the entrance, an audible whisper rushed past his ear. 

_Always...._

He huffed in annoyance, walking into the dining hall. One thing was certain, she was most definitely going to be the death of him. 


End file.
